Safety Protocols

- Only patients are allowed to enter. Children or older people who need assistance - of course that is allowed. But nobody with COVID symptoms are allowed - they will need to reschedule visits. EVERYONE needs to wear a mask. But I am sure that is well known by now.

- Daddies unfortunately not welcome either. I do allow them to come with at the 20 week anatomy sonar, as long as he is also wearing a mask, and asymptomatic.

- My receptionist wipes down the chairs after each patient comes into my room. We also allow only one patient into my reception area at a time to maintain social distancing. We all are wearing masks.

- Deliveries: Dad is allowed with delivery, as long as he is asymptomatic, wears a mask, and does not move up and about in hospital. Once he is in, he is in and has to remain with his partner. If he is symptomatic or tested positive for some reason (eg had positive contact), he is NOT allowed to accompany his partner, and the patient will have to choose another birth partner. Mom, sister, a close friend. 

- It is important to note that pregnancy does NOT make you more vulnerable to COVID. The same rules apply to pregnant patients as to the general population (social distancing, masks, washing hands).

- It is also important to note that the virus does NOT cross the placenta (no vertical transmission). Therefore, the baby will not be positive if the mother tests positive.

- Breastfeeding: Even if the mother tests positive, she is still allowed to breastfeed. In fact, it is encouraged. But she must wear a mask and wash her hands before and after handling baby. The only time we separate the mom and the baby is when the mother is too ill to look after the baby, or if the baby needs to be admitted for neonatal reasons (like struggling to breathe). In these cases, we will express milk, and cup feed the baby.

- COVID testing: All patients get tested on admission. We prefer to test patients at least 48 hours prior to admission, but of course it is difficult to determine exactly when a patient will deliver. Therefore, we do tests at 38 weeks and ask the mother to self-isolate until birth. At this point, Mediclinic will accept the test results if it was done within the previous 2 weeks. But these things change rapidly, and there is a good chance that she will have to be tested again at the time of admission.

- Patients with an unknown status, are called “PUI” - person under investigation. They get admitted to an isolated room, and treated as positive until the results are available. That means people are not allowed to move in and out of the room freely, and people will be wearing protective gear (mask, visor, apron, gloves). If the test returns as positive, the patient will be moved to an isolated area in another ward. If negative, she remains in Ward A, but will be moved to another room so that our PUI room becomes available again.

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